McOrmond House Dedicated

The descendants of Raymond Richards McOrmond, who served as headmaster of Westminster School from 1923 to 1936, visited the Hill May 1 for the dedication of a faculty home as the McOrmond House. Joined by several members of the Class of 1966 and Dr. Roger Moore ’35, family members gathered in Keyes study, which had served as Headmaster McOrmond’s office nearly a century ago, then attended the dedication and a luncheon in their honor. The event took place 74 years to the day after Headmaster McOrmond and his wife, Alice, left Westminster.

At the dedication, Headmaster Graham Cole told everyone that because he is acutely conscious of history and legacy, he thought a faculty home should be named for Headmaster McOrmond. He talked about Headmaster McOrmond’s lifelong ambition to be headmaster of a school and reviewed some of the highlights of the McOrmond years, including the construction of Memorial Hall and the hiring of legendary faculty members Ronald J. Michelini, John R. Gow and E. Floyd Lounsbury. He added that Headmaster McOrmond, who led Westminster during the Roaring 20s and the early years of the Great Depression, had a reputation for instilling discipline and was widely respected and admired by students. “I am very proud that we could do this and have a marker of his legacy,” concluded Headmaster Cole.

In other remarks, Dr. Roger Moore ’35 recalled his friendship with Headmaster McOrmond’s son, Raymond McOrmond, Jr.’34. And on behalf of the McOrmond family, Jody Vaill ’66, Headmaster McOrmond’s grandson, thanked everyone who returned to the Hill for the celebration and Westminster for honoring his grandparents.

McOrmond House, which is adjacent to Observatory Field, is the home of faculty members Kathleen Devaney and Mark de Kanter ’91 and their two children.